Circuit interrupter



March 1o, 1925.

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W. SCHWAGER'MANN CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Filed March 24. 1920 Q www .tween them. and it so overlaps Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED y,s'rsras #PATENT OFFICE WILLI'A'M -SCHWAGERMANN,LOF YONKERS, NEW IYORK, ASSIGNOR TO'-WARD .LEONARD ELECT-RIC 1 COMPANY., `A Y CORPORATION OF NEW'"Y'ORK.

YCIRCUIT INTERRUPTER.

Applicationled fMarch 24, 1920. Serial No..368,350.

To ZZ whom-it may concern yBe lit known that Il. llTrLLraM 'SoHwAGnn- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Yonkers, in thecountyotl lVestchester and rvState of New York7 have invented certain .new and vuset'ul Improvements in Circuit lnterrupters, ot whichthe following is` a. specification.

lngeneral the object of this ,invention is to provide aV circuit interrupter which will be simple in construction and economical to manufacture and have comparatively large capacity for its size in carryingand rupturingheavy currents. A particular feature is the provisionof means for rupturing heavy currents without serious areing or ,material deterioration ot the contacts,

Heretofore it has commonly been the practice rin .the circuit interrupterart to break the circuit by a wide separation of the movable contacts from the iixed contacts which in `itself'involves considerable expense in the size ofthe parts and.theirassembly It yis also .common practice to Aprovide auxiliary mea-ns `for .reducing the arcing such as secondary contacts, magnetic blow-outs, or

.other special construction .for protecting the contacts and minimizing arcing. This still further .increases thecost of the interrupter andcomplication ot the apparatus.

Bvzmy invention I introducebetween the lcontacts at the time of breaking the circuit a shield ot' insulating material tor interrupt ing the arc and in thepreferred form of my vinvention l also cause this shield to actually separate the contacts by .being thrust bethe .contacts as to form a barrier to prevent the are passing around it between contacts, I- have tound by experiment that very heav)7 currents can be interrupted in this manner without-serious arcing or serious deterioration of the contacts with continueduse. and that my improved circuit interrupter may be madesimply and of small size.

My invention will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a Jr'ront elevation; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is a plan view` and Fig. 4 is a side view oi' a portion ot the breaker with the parts in open circuit position.

The breaker is mounted upon an insulating panel 10 and in this instance has an the lixed contact 15.

held in place by an angle piece 1/1. This insulating supportl carries the lixed contact or the breaker which isfshown as a iat metal strip located in a recess inthe yface of the supportand having its contact surtace flush with the face ot the insulating support 1B. The contact has a screw 16 mechanically Vand electricalljy7 connected therewith :and passing' back through the support .13 to form a terminal-connection 1T.

The movable contact 18 o't the breaker is shown as aU-shaped sheet metal strip having its face .making contact with kthe tace of A flexible conductor 19 is soldered to the ,contact 1S and makes connection with one line terminal 20 ot the breaker. The movable contact 1S is normallypressed againstthe fixed Contact by a sheet metal strip 21 having one portionengaging the trough of the movable contact 18 and the other portion. supported by the magnet housing 11. metal strip 21 has one end bent 'to enter a depression in the housing 11 and also has For this Apurpose the 7 secured thereto a band 22 which embraces the magnet trame and thus gives a. yieldable pivotal -,connection to the lower end of the strip 21. A screw 23 passes freely through a hole instrip 21 and engages the magnet iframe. A spring 211 is located between the head oii'the screw and strip 21, thus normally forcing the movable contact 1S towards the fixed contact 15. The-contact 18 is movable on the inner end ot the strip 21 so as to permit the contact to be selfadjusting to the. fixed contact 15 tor obtaining a good electricalfcontact therewith.

From the terminal 17 ot the ixed contact, a lead extends to the lixed terminal 25 and thence a lead extends to the overload coil oi the magnet, the return lead therefrom being shown in dotted lines extending to the line terminal 26.

The iron plunger of the magnet is shown at 27 seated upon an adjustable screw 28 which latter is adjustable in and supported by a bracket 29 extending downwardly Jfrom the magnet frame. A rod 30 is connected to the upper end oi? the plunger 27 and has secured to its upper end a block 31 of the insulating material having an upwardly wedge-shaped extension 82. The upwardly extending part 32 slides against the face of the insulating block 13 and when in its lower position has the upper edge of the extension below the junction of the xed and movable contacts of the breaker, as well shown in Fig. 2. At the lower end of the plunger 27 is connected a rod 83 having a handle 34, this rod passing centrally and freely through the adjustable screw 28.

The circuit breaker is shown closed in F ig. 2 and the parts in normal running position, the circuit being completed from line terminal 20 to movable contact 18, ixed contact 15, thence through the'controlling or overload coil of the magnet to the other line terminal 26. Upon the passage of an abnormal current through the controlling` coil, the plunger 27 will be raised and by its connection with the insulating wedge 32 will also cause the latter to be raised and ij'orced between the circuit breaker contact-s 15 and 18. This action will quickly and eectively break the circuit and also abruptly rupture any arc by cutting through the path of the current, the parts assuming the position sho-wn in Fig. 4. The wedge or shield 32'is wider than the contacts and forms a barrier to prevent the arc passing around it between contacts and oi' course the arc cannot pass below it. The parts will remain in this position by reason of the pressure Vof the movable contact 18 against the face of the wedge 32 and the -circuit will remain open until 1t is again closed whendesired by pulling down the handle 34, which will restore the plunger 27 and wedge 32 to their lower positions. In practice the movement of the wedge 32 over the face of the contacts 15 and 18 in opening and closing the breaker, tends to scour them and thus keep them clean and effective in making good electrical connection. I have found fiber to be a suitableV material for the wedge 32 and that it withstands continued use without material deterioration, but obviously any other suitable insultating material may be used.

Although I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention, various modifications and other applications may be made thereof without departing therefrom.

I claim: y

1. In a circuit breaker, a controlling coil, a fixed contact and a movable contact above said coil, means for Yyieldably pressing said movable' contact against said fixed contact, an insulating' element below said contacts and above said coil, a magnetic element controlled by said coil and operatively connected with said insulating element to cause the upward movement of the latter upon the passage of abnormal current through said coil and thereby force said movable contact from engagement with said fixed contact, and adjustable means below said coil for adjusting said magnetic element.

2. In a circuit breaker, a controlling coil, a fixed contact and a movable contact above said coil, means for yieldably pressing said movable contact against said fixed contact, a wedge-shapedV insulating element below said contacts and above said coil, a magnetic element controlled by said coil and operatively connected with said insulating element to cause the upward movement of the latter between said contact-s upon the passage of abnormal current and thereby force said movable contact from engagement with said fixed contact, and a handle below said coil Ywhereby said insulating element may be withdrawn from between said contacts.

3. In a circuit breaker, a controlling coil, a fixed insulating element at one end of said coil, a fixed contact mounted onv said element and having its contact surface flush with the face of said insulating element, a movable contact, means for yieldably pressing said movable contact against the contact surface of said fixed contact, a movable insulating element adapted to slide over the face of said fixed insulating element, a magnetic element controlled by said coil and operatively connected with said mov-- able insulating element to cause the move-- ment of the latter abnormal current through said coil and thereby force said movable contact from engagement with said fixed contact, anda handle at the opposite end of said coil from said fixed insulating element whereby said movable insulating element may be moved to permit said movable contact to engage said fixed Contact.

VIVILLIAM SCHVAGERMANN..

upon Vthe passage of' 

